Sunday, April 29, 2012

My buddy JD hit me up earlier this and I'm just getting around to getting it posted (sorry buddy) buthe new When Tigers Fight record is now up and availale for streaming via MetalSucks. Here's the info:

With the release of
their anthem-strewn sophomore LP Death
Songs just one week from its official street date, today WHEN TIGERS FIGHT are streaming the
entire album via MetalSucks. Get in the pit RIGHT HERE.

Combining
elements of melodic post-youth crew anthems with irate, metallic riffs, East
Coast hardcore unit WHEN TIGERS
FIGHT was founded by Mike McTernan of Damnation A.D. and Jonathan Dennison
of Another Victim, Unholy, Santa Sangre, The Path Of Resistance and The Promise.
Death Songs was recorded with Jocko
at More Sound Studios in Syracuse, and bears cover art by Jon MacNair, known for
his work on labelmates Harm's Way's last full length, Isolation.

Death
Songs will see
release
on May 1st via Closed Casket Activities, the label responsible for previously
co-released the vinyl version of the band's debut LP Ghost Story through Indecision Records.
Preorders are available HERE.

Promos
of Death Songs and interviews with WHEN TIGERS FIGHT are available
worldwide via Earsplit right now.
Stay tuned for more updates in the weeks ahead.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Europe i am jealous of you, i hope you all enjoy this. Somebody stage dive and sing along to reinforced real loud for all of us over here at Hardcore Collective!!!

Outspoken guitarist Mike Hartsfield confirmed this morning in a Hardcore Collective exclusive that the band will be heading to Europe of their first ever tour overseas. The guys will reunite with original 2nd guitarist Travis Guichard (as he lives in Europe now) and spend a majority of October 2012 traveling abroad.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

My dude Eric from Great Reversals hit me up because their new record is finally out after being delayed for months. Here's what he had to say:

"Great Reversals is psyched to announce that our new e.p. "To the Ends
of the Earth" is out now on 10" vinyl. Recorded last summer at Getaway
Recording in Boston with Jay Maas, the record features 4 songs about the
drummer's struggle to raise his 8 year old son who is deaf and
autistic. A CD version will be released late May/early June on
Indelirium Records from Italy and will feature two songs from a previous
split 7" release as well as an Unbroken cover."

Organized Crime Records have now reissued All Out War's long out of print debut LP, Truth In The Age Of Lies along with a 10" version of their 1992 demo. Here are the details from the label's site:

ALL OUT WARTruth In The Age Of Lies CD and Gatefold LP.
Formed in 1991, All Out War quickly started releasing demos and EPs to
much praise in the underground scene, but it was not until 1995 that the
band recorded their debut full-length, “Truth In The Age Of Lies.” Soon
after the release of this groundbreaking album in 1997, their label
folded and it became a highly-sought after underground rarity. Now 15
years later, we are proud to be able to re-release this crossover
classic with expanded packaging and bonus tracks from their 1992 Demo.
16 tracks in all of dark NYHC Crossover. Vinyl version includes digital
download of LP plus the 1992 Demo.-LP VINYL COLORS
150 on SOLID RED VINYL
350 on GREY VINYL
500 on WHITE VINYL

ALL OUT WAR 1992 Demo 10” Very limited edition of these 5 tracks on vinyl. With screen printed hand numbered covers-10” VINYL COLORS
150 on RED VINYL
200 on BLACK VINYL

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Before it was reissued by SA Mob, Disciple's debut EP, "Lantern" was originally released via Ole Crow Records with a completely different layout. I've scanned both covers, the insert and the CD itself for those that want to see the differences as well as listen to the songs.

Living Laser hail from the Hudson Valley area of New York, and are bringing forth a sound reminiscent of early hardcore bands like Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. The "Ragged Glory" cassette released by Trip Machine Laboratories has seven songs of short, fast and sometimes manic hardcore. Astral Plane opens the tape up with succinct blast of power chords and the familiar 80s hardcore drum beat heard throughout the Minor Threat discography. Although the pace of the music is kept fast throughout a lot of the songs, Living Laser also have a great knack for slowing things down in a way that reminds me of the great Bl'ast!, with thick power chords acting as a fulcrum point between the songs more crazed segments. If you're like me, and you think Bad Brains would have been a good band if they hadn't wasted so much time on their reggae parts, you'll probably love this tape.
Head on over to Trip Machine Laboratories and pick up a copy, which is now in its second press (with digital download included), and keep your eyes peeled for a 7" soon on TML as well.

Friday, April 20, 2012

After five years of operating this blog, we finally bought a legitimate domain name. All of the basic elements are still operating through blogger, but you will no longer need to type the long blogspot URL into your address bar. From now on, you can direct your browser to stuckinthepast.net.
We also have lots of interviews and uploads in the works for the upcoming months, so keep your eyes peeled. As always, thanks for reading.

I was originally going to rip the Despair / New Day Rising split 7" as well, but the Despair songs are taken directly from the demo recording, and the New Day Rising song can be found on their discography CD that Eulogy put out.

Right on the heels of the Cowardice West Coast tour news comes word that they have now signed with Mikey Hood's label, Westcoast Worldwide.

Westcoast Worldwide Records is pleased to announce the signing of
Tacoma, Washington based melodic hardcore band Cowardice. The band is
currently hard at work at Astronauts Lounge Studios in Tacoma,
Washington with producer/engineer Ahren Lanfor recording their new EP
entitled “I Am Depression”.

“We are beyond happy to sign with Westcoast Worldwide. We’ve been
fans since we found the label through Set It Straight about 7-8 years
ago and we can’t wait to be a part of it,” exclaims Cowardice Vocalist
Jeremy Bushnell. “This record is being written as a whole record
together, not just a bunch of songs. It is more thought out, planned and
has more focus than anything we’ve ever written. The sound is more
zeroed in, more aggressive and to the point. We really tried to latch on
to why a lot of us found this music in the first place. It really
boils down to the fact that we all found this because some part of us is
not alright. This is a record about dealing with that and realizing you
aren’t the only one feeling it. We can’t wait for people to hear it.”

“We are really excited to welcome Cowardice into the Westcoast
Worldwide Family”, comments label founder Mikey Hood. We have known
about them for a while, and they are a great band, and great kids, and
they got a lot of heart. We are very excited to work with Cowardice, and
we think everybody will really enjoy this record.”

Look for “I Am Depression” in late spring/early summer 2012 on
Westcoast Worldwide. In the meantime, Cowardice will be embarking on a
short tour of the Great Northwest, which includes a spot on the highly
anticipated Rainfest 2012.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Hey everyone. My name is John Vista. I'm new to posting here on xSTUCK IN THE PASTx but this seems like a great first post for me to bring to this site! Ex DISEMBODIED vocalist Aaron Weseman has a brand new band called ENSKYE. Their first show is on April 20th, 2012 {in upstate New York-New Paltz}. On a side note...ENSKYE will be releasing a 5 song demo cd in the very near future! There is a lot to be excited about here, trust me. Having been a longtime DISEMBODIED fan, I for one have had very big expectations for this new project Aaron is now part of. I've heard the new material and I think a lot of people are gonna be surprised & impressed. Having spoken to Aaron on a bunch of different occasions about the ideas, concepts & goals pertaining to ENSKYE...I'm excited to see where this band goes! Everyone out there should without a doubt check out ENSKYE on Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/enskye . Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Hope to bring ya some more updates in the future. Look for an ENSKYE interview on my blogsite { VISTA FANZINE }. Maybe I will post it on this site as well? Maybe even a show review for ENSKYE's first show? Who friggin' knows!? Not me. Thanks~John Vista

News from the Panic Records website reveals that they will be teaming up with Glory Kid Records to release a new record from Burn Your Life Down. Here are the details:

"I'm stoked to announce that I will be teaming up and working with my close friend Andrew Gomez IV and his incredible label Glory Kid Limited to release Burn Your Life Downs' new EP "Don't Try"

Burn Your Life Down has been a project in the making for quite some time now. Configuring the right blend of members and close friends to fit the bill to create such a unique style that can only come from their individual track records. Featuring past members of Time For Change and Restrained to name a few. BYLD proceeds to blaze through with a surging blend of metallic hardcore. Gritty and unmerciful in its own right, painfully resistant and emotionally unhinged.

2012 sees Burn Your Life Down gearing up to release their debut EP "Don't Try" as a split label collaboration between Panic Records and Glory Kid Limited. "Don't Try" is five songs of gut wrenching vocals and heavy tones that gives nod to notable acts such as Rorschach, Deadguy and Kiss It Goodbye. Five songs that creep up on your despair to drive you deeper into it, all the while you beg for more punishment. Resurrecting a sound that has been buried for almost a decade, Burn Your Life Down is celebrating it like it's Easter with their newest effort "Don't Try".

Friday, April 13, 2012

What year did your record label 1124 Records begin and what was the very first release?

I started doing 1124 in 1993. I was living in West Chester, PA at the time and got the urge to start a label as a few friends of mine had their own labels and, having zero musical talent or ability, starting a label seemed like a viable alternative to being in a band.

I started gathering up demos at shows that I'd go to and looking for a band that I wanted to work with. At some point, I was given the Blindside demo. They were a Straight Edge band from Emmaus, PA which wasn't too far from my hometown of Easton. I was 21 at the time and I think those guys were around 17 or so. I can't remember if I called them or wrote them but they agreed to let me put out their record and the Blindside - From Within 7" became my first release.

I knew NOTHING about putting out a record. I called or wrote United Record Pressing and got the price sheet mailed to me. Back then, it was on just a few sheets of paper. I knew nothing of mastering or ideal song length. I let United cut the lacquers for the record and that, combined with the longer song length pushing the limits of the maximum side length, resulted in a very quiet record. But I didn't care. It was my first release and I was proud as hell. I brought the two inserts, the covers and records to the drummer's house and we folded 2000 inserts and stuffed them with the records into the covers. I loved that aspect of it. I gave 200 to the band and sold the other 800 in about a month and a half.

Going to the post office every day and having a box full of envelopes with $3.50 inside each one was pretty fun too. I really liked that pre-internet era of hardcore where everyone had a PO Box instead of an email address and you could always find some hand decorated envelope or package waiting for you at the post office.

Does the number 1124 have some sort of significance or meaning for you? If so, what?

My birthday is November 24th. I really didn't put too much thought into it and can't remember if I had any other names in mind or not. I have had several different logos throughout the years though.

What sorts of criteria have you used in the past to determine what bands/artists to do records with and what sorts of criteria do you use now?

Pretty much then and now, I just look for bands that I like musically and who are cool people to deal with. I try to seek out stuff that will stand out against the multitude of stuff out there and also bands who are willing to promote the record as much as I am. I have my own set of personal beliefs and some band's lyrics haven't matched those but I'm a strong believer in freedom ofspeech. That being said, I wouldn't work with a band that had racist, sexist or homophobic lyrics or lyrical content.

What 1124 Records release(s) in the '90s are you most proud of and why?

The Blindside 7" holds a special place because it was my first record. Musically, I love the Line Drive 7"s. Both of those 7"s sold out incredibly fast and that was pretty cool. I do wish the Shatterhed record had come out better. Musically, it's a great DC influenced post-hardcore sounding record. Aesthetically, it's a trainwreck. The covers that I ordered from Punks with Presses (remember them?) never arrived, so I ended up making some horrible ones at Kinkos. The labels printed terribly. Why or how United didn't notice that and didn't redo them or ask me for new artwork is beyond me. A few years ago, I converted all my old DATs to MP3s and the Shatterhed DAT was broken. If anyone can do a good rip of the vinyl, I'll send you some stuff in exchange.

Why did you stop doing 1124 Records in the late '90s?

I was getting busier with work and "being an adult" (ha!) and just didn't have the time to devote to it that I wanted to. I was also a little disillusioned with the state of hardcore at the time. I still loved and supported the music but it wasn't the same. Every band had a CD out, it seemed. I missed the days of bands sending out cassette demos, then doing a 7" and then maybe a 12".I guess with the digital age, it was all bound to end. I hate sounding like my "good old days" were better than what's going on now but I think every generation thinks what they have is special & unique and can't be duplicated.

What made you decide to start doing 1124 Records again in 2010?

I was still involved with the hardcore scene as far as going to shows and buying records while 1124 was shelved but I always missed doing the label. I toyed with the idea of putting out a record over the years but nothing fell into place. When I stopped doing it originally, I was working on a Backlash discography CD that never happened. So, a few years ago, I reached out to Jon Sinko and asked him about doing the discography on vinyl. Everything worked this time around and my first release back was the Backlash - Through Different Eyes 2xLP. Probably a little ambitious to take on something that size for my first release back but it came out great.

What 1124 Records release(s) since 2010 are you most proud of and why?

I love how the Chain of Strength 2x7" compilation came out. I had always wanted to do a comp and I loved the format of the Embrace comp done by Watermark. I started reaching out to a bunch of the Straight Edge bands that I liked at the time and surprisingly, all but two agreed to be on the comp. I actually had to turn bands away.

Another surprise was how all the bands got me all their info and song files on deadline. I figured that working with 10 hardcore bands from all over the globe would be a nightmare but it went really smooth. The Chain guys were all stoked on it and Jordan Cooper was a huge help. The response to the layout, songs and everything was great.

Discuss the upcoming Triggerman - Learning To Lie LP/CD.

After I did the Killing Flame - Save Yourself LP, I was interested in releasing their Nine More Lives album on vinyl since it only got a CD release. When I contacted Joe Nelson to ask about doing it, he asked me if I would be interested in doing the new Triggerman instead. I jumped on it as I loved the Dead Like Me LP and the Sinker 7".

Joe and Gavin had all these songs that they had written but never recorded back when Triggerman was still active. About a year or so ago, they recruited Derek O'Brien and Brett Rasmussen to play drums and bass respectively and finally got the songs recorded.

There are 13 Triggerman songs, and one Go Go's cover. The vinyl will have 11 songs and, instead of a download card, we decided to include a CD in a sleeve which will contain all 14 songs. The CD will not be for sale on it's own. You can only get it by purchasing the LP. There will also be an official Gavin Ogelsby guitar pick and 3 Triggerman stickers.

There will be 3 vinyl colors for the record: blood red, grey and black. The blood red version will be a "friends press" only available through the band. The grey and the black will be available through 1124 and various distros. Any represses will not include the CD, stickers or picks. We also did two different shirt designs for this release. There are also plans to do at least one record release show in May or June.

What is the status of the other Triggerman record (of demos and compilation tracks) that you're planning on releasing?

Gavin is working on collecting all of the early Triggerman song tapes, reels, DATs, etc. I will be releasing an LP of both demos and all of the compilation & 7" songs. It will be a one time pressing of 100 LPs with hand stamped covers. Hopefully that will be done by early summer.

How do you go about deciding what colors of vinyl to press specific records on?

Most of the time, I leave it up to the band but I offer my suggestions from time to time. I usually try to tie the vinyl color into the layout colors. But for the Backlash, I did 100 on white as a nod to the Judge - Chung King Can Suck It record. For the Chain comp, I tried to match the colors to the original Rev pressing of clear, green and black.

Feel free to discuss any of your other endeavors (musical or otherwise) here.

After the Triggerman LPs, I'll be releasing an LP from Brooklyn's The Last Stand. I did their 7" last year. The Last Stand is basically Shutdown with Mike from Inhuman singing. Heavy but not metallic NYHC. I also have something cool planned for 2013 but I'm keeping that under wraps for now. It will be a 20th anniversary type thing. I've also been talking with Time Together about repressing their 7"s onto a 12". They sound like a modern day version of Uniform Choice. Great stuff. That's about all I have planned for 1124 unless I get a demo that knocks my socks off.

I spend my days working at Olympus in the industrial microscope division and when I'm not working, I'm happily wrapped around my one year old daughter Violet's finger.

Thanks a ton for the interest in doing this interview and thanks for all your support on Stuck In The Past in featuring all of my projects. I really appreciate it.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

My dude Grant from Bitter Melody Records hit me up to let us know about the new band Fires & Floods. He's releasing their record soon and dropped some information off which you can read below:

"fires & floods is a labor of love on all counts. As Matt put it, “This is the first band I've been in since I was 19 that wasn't a serious, oft-touring band that I relied on for income...it's literally a labor of passion.”

These guys have played together for years but despite real world callings and careers still can’t resist playing and creating. fires & floods first LP is fast, dark and ferocious. The project is made up of Rob Fusco, Matt Canning , Phil Bryer, Tony Capponi, and Sean Ward. The mastering is being finished up now by Dean Baltulonis.

Rob is best known for his work in One King Down, Most Precious Blood, and more recently Recon. Matt and Phil played for Twilight Collective and Matt also played in Shai Hulud, Dark Day Dawning and xWIDOMAKERx. Tony and Sean played in Passion and Tony also played with Matt in the Dark Day Dawning and xWIDOWMAKERx.

The Voice at Your Heels will be released this spring on Bitter Melody Records via vinyl and digital distribution.

“The great thing about the hardcore scene(s) is that members from different bands are always up to the challenge of creating new music with each other. It’s been happening since always and there have been some great side-projects and bands come out of the willingness to experiment and explore.“Here we have Fires & Floods. Based out of Philadelphia, PA, the band boasts a few members that should be recognized: Rob Fusco (One King Down/Most Precious Blood), Matt Canning (Shai Hulud/Twilight Collective), Phil Bryer (Twilight Collective), Emidio Capponi (bass), and Sean Ward (drums).The sound of Fires & Floods is well-steeped in hardcore but there is a meanness and ferocity permeating throughout. It’s taking the best and harshest aspects of hardcore, grind, and even speed metal and shaking them until a new sound is made. Or something close to that. You’ll have to listen for yourself…and you can! The band has a Bandcamp page set up where you can listen to three demo tracks. The band’s debut album, The Voice at Your Heels, is being mastered right now by Dean Baltulonis and will be released by Bitter Melody Records. The same label who so far has put out a few note-worthy Most Precious Blood and Indecision reissues.”-Juan Diniz The 1st Five